NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe and astronaut Heidemarie M. Stefanyshyn-Piper will visit with Cumberland, Wis. students Wednesday, October 27, to discuss future career opportunities they can pursue to fulfill the Vision for Space Exploration.

The event begins at 10 a.m. and will be held in the gymnasium at Cumberland High School, located at 1000 8th Ave., Cumberland.

The Vision calls for the safe return to flight of the Space Shuttle, completion of the International Space Station, and human and robotic exploration of the moon, Mars and beyond. Administrator O'Keefe and Stefanyshyn-Piper will also talk about our destiny as explorers and NASA's stepping-stone approach for future exploration activities.

"It is vital that we partner with our schools to create learning environments that will prepare our young people for the journey ahead," O'Keefe said. "Our nation's youth will inherit the challenge to explore Mars and beyond in the years to come. We must do what we can to engage them in the exciting possibilities the Vision for Space Exploration holds for them."

Cumberland Middle School is one of 100 schools selected nationwide to participate in the NASA Explorer Schools (NES) program. The program is a three-year partnership between NASA and selected schools to provide opportunities and materials for teachers to spark student interest in science and math. To date, more than 100 teams of teachers and education administrators from diverse communities in 46 states have participated.

Members of the media are invited to cover the visit. Media representatives interested in arranging interviews with Administrator O'Keefe and Stefanyshyn-Piper in conjunction with their visit to the school, should contact Sallie Keith of the Glenn Research Center Media Relations Office at 216-433-5795 or 216-308-0801 (cell).

For more information about the NASA Explorer Schools Program on the Internet, visit:

For more information about the Vision for Space Exploration on the Internet, visit:

For more information about NASA on the internet, visit:

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